Talents And Gifts

The Bible teaches that:

  1. God have given very human being a gift, or talent, to use for His purpose.

“As each has received a gift, employ it in serving one another, as good managers of the grace of God in its various forms” – 1 Peter 4:10

2. God wants us to use these gifts to help others and glorify Jesus, not ourselves.

“If anyone speaks, let it be as it were the very words of God. If anyone serves, let it be as of the strength which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Yeshua the Messiah, to whom being the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen” – 1 Peter 4:11

3. God wants us to use our gifts to help his body of believers.

“Having gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us, if prophecy, let’s prophesy, according to the proportion of our faith, or service, ketd give ourselves to service, or he who teaches, to his teaching, or he who exhorts, to his exporting, he who gives, let him do it with generosity, he who rules, with diligence, he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness” – Romans 12:6-8

4. God will judge us for how we use our gifts.

“For to everyone who has will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who doesn’t have, even that will be taken away” – Matthew 25:29

5. God requires much from those who have been given much.

“To whomever much is given, of him will much be required, and to whom was entrusted, of him of him more will be asked” – Luke 12:48

The Bible has a lot to say about talents and gifts. However, these scriptures and teachings are the most common of the teachings on the gifts and talents that God has given us.

Feeling At Peace

How are you feeling right now?

Across all cultures, we share the same six emotions – sadness, anger, fear, joy, love, and peace.

Although I woke up with a slight headache this morning, I feel at peace. Even in times of trouble peace is possible. I don’t think peace is something we create on our own. I think we have true peace in our hearts. True peace is wholeness, calmness, and completeness.

It is written in the Bible that Jesus is the “Prince of peace. It is closeness to Jesus that calms and gives us peace even in the middle of a trial.

In John 16:33 Jesus tells us, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart I have overcome the world,”

When we remember that peace is not the absence of conflict or calm circumstances, peace is actually the presence of God amid all our circumstances.

Whether I am in pain or troubled circumstances peace is always found with God.

The Battle For Your Soul

“What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what shall a man exchange for his soul?” Mark 8:36

In the world today, many people are oblivious to the fact that they are in the midst of a spiritual battle. They live their lives in sin and they are not ready to please God. Satan gives them daily inspiration to do things that will lead them to hell.

Jesus makes us know there is no profit in gaining the world and losing our souls. There is nothing we can give in exchange for our souls. No amount of wealth, or worldly possession is greater than the soul of a human being. Human souls are more precious than gold or silver, there is nothing that can be compared to it.

Satan wants us to gain the world and lose our souls. He is fighting a fierce and never-ending battle against our souls. The truth is that we can see this battle happening in everyday society. This spiritual battle is between life and death, heaven and hell, light and darkness, and between self-denial and self-love.

We are living in a time where satan doesn’t even hide, and the world still cannot see him

Satan wants you to die in your sin without repenting. He does not want you to reign with Jesus in heaven.

The battles we choose and the lifestyles we live reflect the God or the gods we serve. Jesus went to the cross for you and me, He went there to abolish the power of Satan, Sin, and Death, Sin and Death are the only enemies we have. These enemies constantly whisper in our ears that we are unlivable, unwanted, and powerless. There is no religious, social battle, or political battle that will satisfy your desire for acceptance, comfort, and power. The only place that these desires will be satisfied is at the feet of Jesus.

Daily Habits

What daily habit do you do that improves your quality of life?

What habit improves my daily life? A habit that completely changed my quality of life is I changed my perspective on it.

The world is a crazy place. I look at life challenges positively. Seeing things negatively only makes us depressed and hopeless. But by changing your perspective you can begin to see new things. You can see the details in a new way. You find that things aren’t as bad as they seem, and you may find the exact things you need for your next step in life. You begin to open your mind to new details, new paths, and new perspectives.

It is the reason I am happy and not hopeless in a chaotic world.

Living Victoriously

When it comes to living victoriously, we cannot do it by ourselves. Thankfully, it is not dependent on us.

“Thanks be to God He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” -1 Corinthians 15:57

Our victory is not in and of ourselves or anything we can accomplish on our own. It comes through Jesus because only He can conquer death, sin, sickness, and darkness.

Living victoriously begins and ends with Jesus. There is no victory without Jesus because, through Him and His sacrifice, He gives us the power and strength to overcome whatever is trying to defeat us.

When Jesus walked the earth, He lived a victorious life. He was victorious over sickness, nature, demons, and death itself. It is because of His victory that we can live in victory. But is doesn’t mean that life won’t be hard, or that we won’t stumble and even fall from time to time.

Jesus showed us what true victory looks nothing like this world defines victory. Jesus tells us that victory lies in being humble. True humility means that we never think of ourselves as greater than God, but instead as His obedient and lowly servant. Victory is reached through pursuing a childlike faith.

Living in victory means living with joy the responsibilities God has given us, no matter how big or small they appear to be in a given moment.

The Last Internet Search

What was the last thing you searched for online? Why were you looking for it?

My last internet search was looking up a rental car company in my area. My jeep was hit in a parking lot while I was grocery shopping. I am blessed that she waited for me to come out of the store and gave me her instructions and called the police.

Her insurance company would only pay for rentals that were 80 miles away from me. Talking to the insurance claims department I became tasked with finding a rental on my own. Feel blessed that the insurance company will pay for it.

Guidelines To Experience Spiritual Victory

Everyone experiences traumas in their lives. That feeling you just can’t get ahead, every time you feel like you’re getting ahead something comes along that drags you back down. But, if you learn how to fight darkness in your life. I used to think there would never be light in my dark world.

If you’re willing to fight that darkness that seems to lurk in every corner. Over the years, I have learned a few ways to do that. Here are a few guidelines I have used

  • Have Confidence In God.

When we acknowledge our sinfulness and accept God’s free gift of salvation, we can stand before Him clothed in Jesus’ righteousness. (Corinthians 5:21).

  • Submit To God And Resist Satan.

Although Jesus has given us authority over satan (1 John 4:4), we can exercise it only if we submit ourselves to God and resist our enemy (satan).

  • Be Aware Of Satan’s Strategies.

Satan can take advantage of us if we are unaware of his schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11).

  • Put On The Armor Of God.

Like a well equipped Roman soldier, to prepare for spiritual battle *Ephesians 6:11-18).

The Belt of Truth – Our first line of defense is to be truthful. We must never misrepresent the truth.

The Breastplate of Righteousness – Any sin in our life leaves us open to Satan’s attack. We have been given Jesus’s righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21) When we Repent and turn away from our sins we become righteous.

The Shield of Faith – Our faith quenches us from satan’s flaming arrows of temptation (Ephesians 6:16) as we believe what God has said about every area of our life.

The Helmet of Salvation – Our hope of salvation guards against Satan’s sword of discouragment and doubt.

The Sword of the Spirit – Scripture is our best offensive weapon against satan. Jesus used it in His forty days in the wilderness.

  • Pray

Prayer expresses our dependence on God (Ephesians 6:18). In the power of Jesus, with the armor of the Spirit, we can experience victory.

Our true battles are not against flesh and blood but against the unseen powers of darkness and principalities. If we strive to follow Jesus and live for Him, we can be prepared to fight well.

Roman Soldier

Television Shows

What TV shows did you watch as a kid?

What Television shows did I watch as a kid? I wasn’t allowed to watch regular television as a child. Television was for my parents only. I remember watching “The 10 Commandments” and “The Wizzard of Oz.” A few times a year when I reached my teens.

Seeds Of Doubt

To win battles we need to know who our enemies are, but more importantly, we need to know their tactics. This is especially true when we are fighting a spiritual battle.

We know our number one enemy is Satan. John 8:44 tells us he is a “liar and the father of lies.” in 1 Peter 5:8 we learn that he is “Your (our) adversary, the devil walks around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may desire.” And again in Revelation 12:10, we learn that he is “the accuser of the brethren, who accuses them (us) before our God day and night.”

This is because he wants to steal souls from the Lord, Satan uses our weaknesses against us in order to cause us to sin, in hopes that we will stray from God and continue to live in sin, and turn away from God.

The Bible tells us the tactics that satan uses and also how to resist him so he will flee from us. And get victory over sin.

One of the tactics satan used on me, was to doubt that God loved me, and told me, I had to hide all my bad experiences and sins because they were too horrible to let out into the world. He used both doubt and fear against me.

Satan had been using doubt as his weapon since the Garden of Eden and has not put this tactic not a shelf to let it gather dust. It worked then and it’s been working for thousands of years.

In Adam and Eve, the serpent sowed doubt in Eve’s mind to make her think that God was hiding something from her. Eve succumbed to satan’s tactics and let his words influence her actions.

Through Eve’s actions, we can learn a powerful lesson. To stand firm on the Word of God when doubt creeps in. There are three ways we can do this:

  1. Be honest about your doubts and face them.
  2. Commit your doubts to the Lord.
  3. Fill your heart and mind with God’s Word.

Satan used doubt to move us away from God. He uses doubt and makes it personal, he uses it in our relationship with God.

Satan wants us to doubt:

  1. God’s love, grace, and mercy towards us.
  2. Our salvation
  3. The Word of God

If we doubt even one of those things, the devil thinks he’s got us.

It’s God’s love, grace, and mercy that led Him to send Jesus to earth and lay down His life for us. It’s Jesus’s giving up His life that leads us to salvation. When we accept the gift of salvation and accept all that the Word of God had for us, then we realize the truth of His Word. Satan doesn’t want any of that for us.

Have you ever wondered how God could love you or question your salvation? I know I have.

These are things satan puts in our minds to make us doubt. It’s us us to seek the truth in the Word of God and stand up against satan when he tries to use doubt against us.

James 1:6 tells us,

“Let him ask in faith with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.”

If we doubt God’s power, His love, His mercy, or anything then why would we pray to Him make a request, or even trust Him? There would be no need.

My Favorite Time Of Day

What’s your favorite time of day?

My favorite time of day is early morning, It’s the time usually spend with God because my house is completely silent. I can talk to God and read my Bible with no distractions. During this time an inner peace. And when I seek God’s guidance for the day.

America Under Judgment

Why is there such an increase in trouble for America? Could it be that our sins are beginning to catch up with us? Centuries ago Mose warned Israel that if they served God they would be blessed of all nations but if they disobeyed God, terrifying judgment would come.

Deuteronomy 28:65-66 Moses warned,

“Among this nation, you will find no ease, and there will be no rest for the sole of your food, but the Lord will give you there a trembling heart, failing eyes, and pinning of soul. Your life will hang in doubt before you. You will be afraid night and day and you will have no assurance of your life.”

Moses warned that the enemies of Israel would conquer her if she disobeyed God. We know the history of Israel. We know that Israel did disobey God and they suffered one judgment after another.

Today America is following the same dangerous path. We worship gods of secularism and materialism. God is displeased, and His anger is kindled. If ever a nation has enjoyed prosperity and the blessing of God, it is America, but instead of giving thanks to God, we have offered our reverence and worship to created things.

Paul wrote in Romans 1:20-21,

“For the inadvisable things of Him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made. Even His everlasting power and divinity may be without excuse. Because knowing God they didn’t glorify Him as God, and didn’t give thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened.”

Could this be the difficulty with some of our leaders today? Has all the planning of the last few years by some of America’s most brilliant intellect begun to end in futility?

Paul said in Romans 1:22, 26

They boast of their wisdom, but they have made fools of themselves” – Romans 1:22

Then comes judgment:

“For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions” – Romans 1:26

In other words, the Bible says there will come a day when a nation sins so much against God that He will give them up, and will allow them to go on for a time in pleasure worldliness, idolatry, wickedness, and immorality.

Hebrews 11:25 warns,

“Choosing rather ill-treatment with God’s people, than to enjoy pleasures of sin for a time.”

In other words pleasure will be short lived and that judgment will follow.

Paul wrote,

“Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things that are not fitting, being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness m covetousness, malice, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil habits, slanderers, backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, with understanding, covenant breakers without natural affection, unforgiving, unmerciful” – Romans 1 28-31

Paul said that the kindness and patience of God are meant to lead us to repentance. However, we have spurned God’s mercy and kindness to America and have gone deeper into sin.

Paul continues that for those who are governed by selfish ambition, who refuse obedience to the truth and take wrong for their guide, there will be the fury of retribution.

From the beginning of the Bible to the end, God warns that any nation that departs from Him is going to suffer judgment. America has been given more spiritual and moral light than any nation in the history of the world. We have billions of Bibles at our disposal, there are hundreds of thousands of churches. Yet in spite of all this, we continue to be crime-ridden, divorce-prone and the most immoral nation on earth. America is the sex traffic leader in the world. Pornography fills our newsstands and social media, and we spew this filth all over the world,

How long will God withhold His protection over us? Unless we as a nation repent and turn to God, America will get worse and it will be such as no nation has ever endured,

Ezekiel 21:7 says,

“It shall be, when they ask you, Why do you sigh? That you shall say, because of the news, for it comes! Every heart will melt, all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint, all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it comes, and it shall be done, says the Lord God.”

God is speaking to our nation in a thousand ways urging us to repent of our sins and turn to Him before it’s too late. The Prophet Jeremiah said,

“O’ Lord, don’t your eyes look on truth? You have stricken them, but they were not grieved. You have consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction. They have made their faces harder than a rock. They have refused to return” – Jeremiah 5:3

So there is nothing left but judgment.

I pray that God will give American candidates for office who are God-fearing, God-loving men and women. One of the deep-rooted troubles of the nation today is that so many of our leaders who control national affairs either do not know God or deliberately deny His existence.